US Defense Secretary Ordered Ukraine Arms Pause Without Notifying White House: Report

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized a pause in U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine last week without notifying the White House, according to a CNN report. The move triggered confusion within the administration as officials scrambled to understand the decision and communicate with both Congress and the Ukrainian government.

President Donald Trump distanced himself from the decision during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. When asked whether he approved the pause, Trump responded, “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” He added that the U.S. would continue sending defensive weapons to Ukraine.

The incident highlights ongoing dysfunction in the administration’s national security decision-making, particularly at the Pentagon under Hegseth. This marks the second time this year he has unilaterally halted arms shipments to Ukraine without warning senior officials, sources said. A similar pause in February was quickly reversed.

This latest stoppage was also short-lived. By Monday night, Trump announced that weapons shipments would resume, including key interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems. The Pentagon confirmed the reversal hours later.

The U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who also serves as Trump’s national security adviser — were not informed of the pause in advance and learned of it through media reports, according to a senior official.

Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson said Hegseth had created a framework for the president to assess aid and stockpiles, describing the effort as “coordinated across government.” However, a White House official told CNN that the Pentagon had conducted a review of all foreign aid to ensure alignment with U.S. interests. Trump, the official added, ultimately decided to resume defensive weapons support for Ukraine and continues to have full confidence in Hegseth.

CNN reported that Hegseth’s lack of communication may stem from the absence of a chief of staff or senior advisers to help coordinate major decisions.

After being informed of the pause, Trump directed Hegseth to restart some of the shipments, particularly munitions already staged in Poland and ready for rapid transfer to Kyiv. The arms package had been approved under the previous administration and was already in transit when halted.

In a Friday call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump reportedly downplayed his role in the pause. On Tuesday, he emphasized the bravery of Ukrainians using U.S.-provided equipment, saying, “They were very brave, because somebody had to operate that stuff.”

The White House has not clarified whether future arms shipments to Ukraine will face additional review.